Subjection to Christ in All His Ordinances 2, Title page – Imprimatur
SUBJECTION TO CHRIST IN ALL HIS ORDINANCES, AND APPOINTMENTS, The best means to preserve our LIBERTY. Together with a TREATISE OF Ineffectual Hearing the Word; How we may know whether we have heard the same effectually: And by what means it may become effectuall unto us. With some remarkable Passages of his life. By Thomas Shephard, late Pastor of the Church of Christ in Cambridge in New-England.
MATTH. 11. 29. Take my yoke upon you, &c.
LONDON, Printed by S. G. for Iohn Rothwell at the Fountain in Cheap-side. 1657.
TO THE READER.
ONe of the sweetest refreshing mercies of God, to his New England People, amidst all their wilderness-tryals, and straits, and sorrows, wherewith they at first conflicted in those ends of the earth, hath been their Sanctuary-enjoyments, in the beauties of holinesse, where they have seen and met with him whom their soules love, and had familiar and full converse with him, above what they could then enjoy in the land from whence they came. This is that that hath sweetned many a bitter Cup to the remnant of Israel. The Lord alone led him, and there was no strange God with him, was said concerning Israel of old, and this was accounted mercy enough when he led them into a land where no man dwelt, and which no man passed thorough. What God hath done for New-England in this re…ct, and what their Sanctuary mercies be, thou hast here a taste, though but a taste. These notes may well be thought to be lesse accurate, than if the Author himself had published them, and to want some polishments and trimmings, which it were not fit for any other to adde▪ however thou wilt find them full of usefull truths, and mayest easily discern his Spirit, and a Spirit above his own breathing in them.
Concerning the Author; it were worth the while to write the story of his life.
It is needlesse to speak in his commendation, His works praise him in the gates. They that know him, know he had as real apprehensions of the things of God, and lived as much with God, and with his own heart, and more than the most of Christians do. He had his education at Immanuel-College in Cambridge. The Conversion and Change of his heart was wrought betimes when he lived in the Vniversity, and enjoyed Dr. Prestons Ministery, whereby God had the very best and strength of his parts and years for himself. When he was first awakened to lookt after Religion, having before swam quietly in th… stream of the times, he was utterly at a losse which way to take, being much molested with suggestions of Atheism, (in the depths whereof Junius was quite lost for a time) and moved and tempted to the wayes of Familism also; for some advised him in this condition to go to Grindlestone and to hear Mr. Brierley, and being informed that the people were wont to find a mighty possessing over powering presence, and work of the Spirit when they heard him, he resolved upon the journey; but God in mercy diverted him; having reserved him for better things. Yet he read what they said, and the Books of H. N. amongst the rest, where meeting with this passage, That a Christian is so swallow'd up in the spirit, that what action soever the spirit moves him to, suppose whoredome, he may do it, and it is no sin to him; this was enough: for being against the light of his natural conscience, it bred in him an utter abhorrency of th…se loose and vile wayes and principles ever after. This ada…tage also he had, that Doctor Tuckney was then his Tutor, whom he acquainted with his condition, and had his direction and help in those mis…rable fluctuations and straits of his soul. Happy is the man whose doubtings end in establishments, nil tam certum, quàm quod de dubio certum, but when men arrive in Scepticism, as the last issue & result of all their debates and thoughts of heart about Religion, it had been good for such if they had never been born.
After his heart was changed, it was observed of him, that his abilities of mind were also much enlarged, divinity, though it be chiefly the Art and rule of the will, yet raising and perfecting the understanding also; which I conceive came to pass chiefly by this means, that the fear of God fixed him, and made him serious, and taught him to meditate, which is the main improvement of the understanding. Therefore such as came to him for direction about their studies, he would often advise them to be much in meditation, professing, that having spent some time in meditation every day in his beginning times, and written down his thoughts; he saw cause now to blesse God for it. He was assigned to the work of the Ministery at a solemn meeting and conference of sundry godly Ministers about it, there were to the number of twelve present at the meeting, whose solemn advice was that he should serve the Lord in the Gospel of his Son; wherein they have been the salvation of many a soul: for upon this he addrest himself to the work, with that reality and seriousnesse in wooing and winning souls, that his words made deep impressions, and seldome or never sell to the ground.
He was lecturer a while at E…rles-cone in Essex (which I take it was the first place of his Ministery) where he did much good, and the people there, though now it is long since, and many are gone, yet they have a very precious and deep remembrance of him, of the mighty power of God by him to this day. But W. Lawd then Bishop of London soon stopt his mouth, and drove him away, as he did many other godly Ministers from Essex at the same time. After this he lived at Butter-chrome in Yorkshire, at Sir Richard Darleys house, till the Iniquity of those times hunted him thence also. Then he went to Northumberland till silenced there also; and being thus molested and chased up and down at home, he fled to New-England, and after some difficulties and delayes, by great storms and disasters at Sea upon the Sands and Coasts of Yarmouth, which retarded his voyage till another year, he arrived there at last; where he was Pastor to a precious flock at Cambridge about fourteen yeers. He was but 46. or 47. years old when he dyed. His sicknesse began with a sore throat, and then a squinacy, and then a fever, whereof be dyed August 25. 1649. This was one thing he said upon his deathbed, Lord, I am vile, but thou art righteous; and to those that were about him, he bade them louelove Iesus Christ dearly, that little part that I have in him, is no small comfort to me now.
His manner of preaching was close and searching, and with abundance of affection and compassion to his hearers. He took great pains in his preparations for his publick labours, accounting it a cursed thing to do the work of the Lord negligently; and therefore spending usually two or three whole dayes in preparing for the work of the Sabbath, had his Sermons finished usually on Saturday by two of the clock; He hath some…ime exprest himself thus in publick▪ God will curse that mans labours that lumbers up and down in the world all the week, and then upon Saturday in the afternoon goes to his Study, when as God knows that time were little enough to pray and weep in, and to get his heart in frame, &c. He affected plainnesse together with power in preaching, not seeking abstrusities, nor liking to hover and soar aloft in dark expressions, and so shoot his Arrows (as many Preachers do) over the heads of his hearers.
It is a wretched stumbling block to some, that his Sermons are somewhat strict, and (as they term it) legall: some souls can relish none but meal-mouth'd Preachers, who come with soft and smooth, and toothlesse words, byssina verba byssinis viris: But these times need humbling Ministeries, and blessed be God that there are any; for where there are no Law-Sermons, there will be few Gospel-lives, and were there more Law-preaching in England by the men of gifts, there would be more Gospel-walking both by themselves and the People. To preach the Law, not in a forc'd affected manner, but wisely and powerfully, together with the Gospel, as Christ himself was wont to do (Mat. 5. and elsewhere) is the way to carry on all three together, sense of misery, the application of the remedy, and the returns of thankefulnesse and duty. Nor is any doctrine more comforting than this humbling way of God, if rightly managed.
It is certain the foundations of after-…orrows and ruines to the Church, have ever been laid in the days of her prosperity, and peace, and rest, when she injoyes all her pleasant things. This the watchmen of Israel should foresee, and therefore what shoul… they do but seek to humble and awaken, and search and melt mens hearts, and warn every one night and day with tears, that in the day of their peace, they may not sin away the things of their Peace. There are therefore three requests, which we would desire to beg of God, with bended knees for England, to prepetuate the present prosperity and peace thereof; and let us commend them to the mourning and praying ones amongst us, that they would be the Lords remembrancers in these Petitions.
1. A right understanding and sober use of liberty. For when People come first out of bondage, they are apt to be not only somewhat fond of their liberties, but to wax giddy and wanton with liberty, and instead of shaking off the bl…ody yokes of men, to cast off at least in part the Government and blessed yoke of Christ also. Hence it …o…es about, that a day of rest from persecution, which should be a day of liberty to the Saints to serve God, may become a day of great seduction, and of liberty to seducing Spirits, to deceive, and damn, and mislead them from the truths and wayes of God. But the machin…tions of men, though in conjunction with the powers and gates of hell, shall certainly fall at last before Truth and Prayer. And of this is the first Treatise which is seasonably publish'd.
To be fast bound to the rule with all the bonds and cords of God and Man is the Perfection of liberty. Hence there is not a surer Corner-stone of ruine to a Christian Commonwealth, that God will break them with unparallell'd destructions by some overflowing scourge, when the day of vengeance is in his heart, than to think that Religion is none of their Liberties, and yet how many sons of Belial, are there void of counsell, neither is there any understanding in them, who imagine vain things, and say, Let us break his bands asunder, and cast away his cord… from us? How do men run into extremes, either stretching and paring every one to the Gyants bed, and thereby denying liberty to the Saints to serve him, according to the measure of their stature in Christ, or else on the other hand opening the door so wide, as to plead for liberty to all the disguised enemies and sins against Christ, thereby instead of uniting the Saints in one, indeavouring though a dreadfull mistake to unite Christ and Belial? It is a sad thing when a man is come to this passe, that he is not able to resolve his conscience whether Baal be God, or the Lord be God, and therefore would not have the worshippers of Baal punisht, for fear lest Baal should be God. Is liberty nothing but indifferency and irresolution of spirit in the things of God? wo to the valley of vision, even to a sinfull Nation laden with iniquity, and led away from the truth as it is in Jesus, and to the Host of the high ones that sit on high, in the day of his visitation, if this be the spirit of these times; for in the day when he visits, God will visit for these things.
2. That his Word, especially the Word of his Gospel, may be precious and powerfull, may run and be glorified in England. Alas! as there is much preaching, but few serious, few heart-breaking Sermons: so there is much hearing, but little effectual hearing. Men stand like the Oakes of Bashan, before the words of the God of Israel, no terrour of the Lord, no news of everlasting destruction, no evidence of the fierce anger of God upon them, which burns down to the bottom of hell, can take hold upon their spirits, or awaken their consciences, to make inquiries after God in this their day: yea if the bars of the pit of hel, were broken, and if the devils of hell should come flying up amongst us, in our solemn Assemblies, from the fiery corners of the Pit helow, with everlasting burnings about their eares, and with chains of darkness ratling at their heels, they might fright men out of their wits perhaps, or from the acts of sin it may be for a time, but it would not work upon their hearts, their desperate, dead, besotted hearts. The fooles in Israel will have their swinge in their lusts, and go to hell in a full cariere, let God do his best. Oh the hardnesse of mens hearts! And the main reason of it, is because they hear but a sound of words, but they do not hear the Lord in that Word: they hear words that are spoken by God, but they hear not, they see not God himself therein. If ever thou wouldest profit by reading or hearing, take every word as a speciall message to thee from God; and of this fruitless hearing, and the rules of hearing aright is the other Treatise.
3. Conscience of his Sabbaths. Of which there is an elaborate discourse of this Author, formerly publish'd by himself. Therefore we shall adde no more. The blessing of heaven go with these, to make us a willing People in the day of his power, to submit to his Word, and to come under the wing of the Government of Iesus Christ, as esteeming these spirituall mercies our best mercies, our choycest and dearest liberties. If ever the Lord Iesus (which mercy forbid) should take his dolefull and finall farewell of the English Nation, as when he laid the tomb-stone upon Jerusalem, such as these will be his mournings over us: Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets and burnest them that are sent unto thee, as they did in the time of Popery, how often would I have gathered thy children together (by my Word and Spirit therein) even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under the wings (of my speciall Government and Protection?) but ye would not; behold your house is left unto you desolate. But the Lord who doth not only make the day dark with night, but also turneth the shadow of death into the morning, even the Lord avert these evils, and the Lord make the English Nation his Hephfibah, and the land Beulah, which is the prayer of his Mourners in Sion, and of
Thy Servants in Jesus, and for Jesus sake,
William Greenhill.
Samuel Mather.
TO THE Christian READER.
THe precious memory of the Author of these ensuing SERMONS, needs no reviving to any gracious heart, that had any knowledge of him. Yea the world knows in part (though but in a little part) by some pieces of his formerly Printed (while he was y…t …) who this Author was, what it owes to God for him, and how justly it might sigh over his grave, with that of the Apostle, Of whom the World was not worthy! His praise throughout all the Churches, is farre above any addition by so mean a pen as writes these lines. But it is not fit that the first page of any thing published after his death (for I doubt not but his death is long ago publickly took notice of) should go without some witnesse of a mournfull remembrance thereof, which indeed no tears can sufficiently lament. We who sometimes sate under his shadow, and were fed from God by him, (the poor flock of this Shepherd) among whom he lived, testifying Repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ; and whom he sometimes exhorted, comforted and charged eueryevery one of us as a Father doth his Children; we cannot but carry sorrow in the bottome of our hearts to this day, that wee must here see his face no more. Neither do we believe that his losse remains with us alone, or only within the limits of this remote wildernesse; the benefit (and consequently the want) of such a burning and shining Light, is of more generall concernment that we easily apprehend, especially in this Age, wherein not only many …it in utter darknesse, but which is more, the new Light thereof is darknesse; and the Love of many waxing cold. But we must all be silent before Him, whose judgements are unsearchable. Neither may we presume to say to him, What doest thou?
It is instantly and not without cause desired by many, that such reliques of his Labours as do survive him, may be (at least some of them) imparted to the publick. To effect any thing considerable that way, is not an easie or sudden work. But this small piece being at present attained; it seemed not amisse to let it pass the Press. These were some of his Lecture-Sermons, Preached most of them in the year, 1641. They are now transcribed by a godly Brother, partly from the Authors own notes, partly from what he took from his mouth: The subject (in both the Texts) is of great use, and needfull for these times; wherin there is more Liberty, than good use of it; and much more common and outward, than saving and effectuall knowledge of the word of God. These posthumous editions are far short of what the Author was wont to do, and of what the Sermons were in preaching. But though the sense be not every where so full, nor every thing so thorowly spoken to, nor the stile so good by far, (as the Authors manner was) yet the intelligent Reader will find a precious treasure of truth in it, not fit to be buried or neglected. The Prophets do not live for ever, but their words do: The Lord make them such ever-living words as may take hold of all our hearts, not for judgement, but for mercy, for one of these waye… they shall live; yea, rise up at the last day.
Imprimatur,
March 29. 1652. EDM. CALAMY.