A Brief Recognition of New Englands Errand into the Wilderness, Title page – To the reader
A BRIEF RECOGNITION OF NEW-ENGLANDS ERRAND INTO THE Wilderneſs;
Made in the Audience of the General Aſſembly of the Maſſachuſets Colony, at Boſton in N. E. on the 11th of the third MonethMonth, 1670. being the DAY of ELECTION THERE.
By Samuel Danforth, Paſtor of the Church of Chriſt in Roxbury in N. E.
Jer. 2. 2.
Go, and cry in the ears of Jeruſalem, ſaying. Thus ſaith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindneſs of thy youth, the love of thine eſpouſals, when thou wenteſt after me in the Wilderneſs, in a Land that was not ſown.
3. Iſrael was Holineſs unto the Lord, and the firſt-fruits of his increaſe—
5. Thus ſaith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
CAMBRIDGE: Printed by S. G. and M. J. 1671.
Chriſtian Reader,
A Word ſpoken in due ſeaſon (ſaith Solomon) how good is it? Prov. 15. 23. And again, A word fitey ſpoken is like Apples of gold in pictures of ſilver, Chap. 25. 11. Such were the words of our Lord Jeſus, who (accommodating himſelf to the way of Doctrine uſed by thoſe Eaſtern Nations) did by Parabolical diſcourſes delight to breathe forth the deep Myſteries of divine and heavenly Wiſdome: And how plain, but pungent, his Sermons were, how perſpicuous, yet unſpeakably profound were thoſe Oracles which flowed out of his lips of grace, none are ignorant, who are not unacquainted with what the holy Evangeliſts do harmoniouſly relate concerning him. No more excellent Patern then the Lord Jeſus for the Miniſtry of the New Teſtament to imitate: And of all the words of the Sacred Scripture (though all are of equal Authority, as being of the Canon, yet) none ſeem to have a more eminent immediation of Heart-commanding virtue, then thoſe which proceeded directly out of the mouth of the Lord himſelf; whereof this Text is one, upon which the following Sermon is ſpent. And how much of the Spirit of our Saviour appears therein, I need not ſay, and which perhaps will not, at the firſt daſh, be diſcerned by the ordinary or curſory Reader; but Wiſdome is juſtified of her children. The ſeaſonableneſs, and ſuitableneſs of this Work which is now in thine hand, unto our preſent Wilderneſs-ſtate, will commend it ſelf unto the judicious Chriſtian, whoſe heart doth indeed travel with the labouring Intereſt of the Kingdome of our Lord Jeſus in theſe Ends of the Earth: The Text carrying with it ſo much heavenly argumentation, being ſo profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Inſtruction in righteouſneſs, as though intended by our Lord Jeſus for ſuch a Day as that, whereon this Sermon was Preached, (and alſo before ſuch an Auditory). Whoſe applauds the former, will not diſapprove the latter; the Reverend Author thereof obſerving therein the Saying of that Apoſtolick Man of God (and very judicious in his Advice to younger Miniſters about ſuch matters) his moſt Reverend Father of bleſſed Memory, Mr. Wilſon, viz. That he delighted in ſuch a Sermon wherein the Preacher kept cloſe unto his Text, and the proper ſcope thereof, and wandered not from it by needleſs excurſions, and impertinent enlargements.
The loſs of firſt love, firſt to Chriſt, and ſo to the Subjects, and Order of his Kingdome, being a Radical Diſeaſe too tremendouſly growing upon ſo great a part of the Body of Profeſſors in this Land, unto a Laodicean lukewarmneſs in the matters of God, notwithſtanding the ſignal, and unparallel Experiences of the bleſſing of God upon this people, a people ſo often ſaved by the Lord in the way of Moſes and Aaron's meeting, and kiſſing one another in the Mount of God; and the obſervation of that Declenſion juſtly calling for ſo meet an Antidote and faithful Caution, as is the enſuing Sermon (foreign) unto ſuch, to review, and conſider in earneſt their Errand into this Wilderneſs: and the recovery of their affections to the Name of Chriſt, in the chaſtity, vigour, and fervour thereof, by a thorough-Reformation of things in the Matters of his Worſhip, being a ſpecial duty in this hour of Temptation incumbent, as on the Magiſtracy in their Sphere, ſo on the Miniſtry in theirs, whereby they may declare themſelves loyal to Chriſt in their Generation-work, hath no doubt inclined the heart of this Servant of his, to yield unto the Perſwaſions of divers, that theſe his Meditations might be publiſhed, and ſo (through the bleſſing of God) advance that deſired Reformation. It is not a looſe Toleration, nor a rigid Independent-Separation, but an holy, and brotherly Reformation which all ſhould in ſuch an hour be endeavouring. And how perillous a Sceptical Indifferency, or a Reed like Vacillation, much more wilful Oppoſition to the Doctrine and Way of the firſt Fathers and Founders of this Colony in Matters of Religion, would be, were it onelyonly in thoſe two Points about the Magiſtrates Coercive Power in Matters of Religion, (contrary to that Toleration aforeſaid) and about Communion of Churches in Synods, &c. deſcribed alſo by them, from the Word of God, in the Platform of Diſcipline (contrary to that Independent-Separation aforeſaid) will be evident to thoſe that underſtand what theſe things mean; ſcil. 1. Quod liberi ſunt Spirituales a jugo-poteſtatis ſecularis: and 2. Quod Eccleſia non poteſt errare. It is ſaid I remember (Joſh. 24. 31.) that Iſrael ſerved the Lord all the dayes of Joſhua, and all the dayes of the Elders that out-lived Joſhua, and which had known all the works of the Lord that he had done for Iſrael: It is much to Iſraels advantage in the ſervice of God, when the Lord graciouſly continues thoſe, who are acquainted with the Firſt Wayes of ſuch a people, as hath been Holineſs to the Lord, and with the Firſt Works of the Lord in his laying the Foundation of that Glory which might dwell in their Land. And it is recorded (Exod. 1. 8.) as an inlet to Iſraels calamitious ſtate, in that place where the Lord had greatly multiplied and bleſſed them, that there aro…e up a New King which knew not Joſeph. When Joſeph, or Joſhua are unknown, or forgotten, and the Work and Way of God in leading his people by the hand of Moſes and Aaron in their primitive Glory not underſtood, or not minded by theſe or thoſe, how fearfully ominous to Iſrael muſt it needs be! and how neceſſitating the affectionate repetition, again, and again, of that expoſtulatory, ſad Interrogation of our Saviour, But what went ye out into the Wilderneſs to ſee? and ſhould there ariſe ſuch another Generation (as is mentioned Judg. 2. 11.) after our Fathers are removed to reſt from the Warfare of the ſervice of the Tabernacle of God in their Generation, as ſhould not know the Lord, nor regard the works which he hath done for our Iſrael, what may be expected, but that (as the following Context ſhews) the anger of the Lord ſhould wax hot againſt Iſrael, and that he deliver us alſo into the hand of ſpoilers? &c. Strangers to the FIRST Intention of the people of God in their planting in this Wilderneſs, and ſo to the Doctrine of Faith and Order left in Print behinde them (more ſure and credible then ſome Ʋnwritten Traditions thereabout) may prove dangerous Inſtruments to OUR Ruine, if the Lord in mercy prevent not.
It was the commendation of Timothy by Paul, 2 Tim. 3. 10, 11. as alſo a profitable inſtruction and encouragement to him, when he ſaith, But thou haſt fully known my doctrine, manner of life, duplicate page duplicate page purpoſe, faith, long-ſuffering, charity, patience, perſecutions, afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lyſtra, what perſecutions I endured, but out of them all the Lord delivered me: the like may be ſaid of this Reverend Servant of the Lord, my dear Brother in Chriſt, to whom it hath ſeemed good foreign (according to that word of Wiſdome which is given to him by that ſame holy Spirit, from whom proceed thoſe diverſities of gifts, which he divides to every man ſeverally as he will) to leave this enſuing Teſtimony of his ſollicitude for the poor Woman fled alſo into this Wilderneſs, unto the conſideration of all ſuch as are wiſe-hearted in Iſrael. His nearneſs to, and intimacy with my Ever-honoured Father now with God (he being brought up with him as a Son with a Father) commands from my Pen a glad apprehending the opportunity of performing this ſervice of waiting upon it to the Preſs; praying, that the Lord would make the words thereof as Goads, and Nails faſtened by the Maſters of Aſſemblies, and given by that one Shepherd the Lord Jeſus: In whom I am
Thine, for the ſervice of thy Faith, Thomas Shepard.