Subjection to Christ in All His Ordinances, 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 be come effectual unto us. With ſome remarkable Paſſages of his life.
By Tho. Shephard, late Paſtor of the Church of Chriſt in Cambridge New-England.
Now publiſhed by Mr. Jonathan Michell Paſtor of the ſaid Church in New-England.
MATTH. 11.29. Take my yoke upon you, &c.
London, Printed for John Rothwell and are to be ſold by Tho. Brewſter, at the three Bibles in Pauls Churchyard, neer the Weſt end. 1652.
To the READER.
ONe of their ſweeteſt refreſhing mercies of God, to his New-England People, amidſt all their wilderneſſe-tryals, and ſtraits, and ſorrowes, 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 l…ve, 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 a one 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 fo… New-England in this reſpect, 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 then if the Author himſelf had publiſhed them, and to want ſome poliſhments and trimmings, which it were not ſit for any other to adde; however thou wilt finde them full of uſeful 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 then the moſt of Chriſtians do. He had his education at Immanuel-Colledge in Cambridge. The Converſion and Change of his heart was wrought betimes when he lived in the Ʋniverſity, and enjoyed Dr. Preſtons Miniſtery, whereby God had the very beſt and ſtrength of his parts and yeares for himſelf. When he was first awakened to look after Religion, having before ſwam quietly in the ſtream of the times, he was utterly at a loſſe which way to take, being much moleſted with ſuggeſtions of Atheiſme, (in the depths whereof Junius was quite loſt for a time) and moved and tempted to the wayes of Familiſme alſo; ſome adviſed him in this condition to go to Grindleſtone, & to hear Mr. Brierley, and being informed that the people were wont to finde 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 whoredom, 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 thoſe looſe and vile wayes and principles ever after. This advantage alſo he had, that Doctor Tuckney was then his Tutor, whom he acquainted with his condition, and had his direction and help in thoſe miſerable fluctuations and ſtraits of his ſoul. Happy is the man whoſe doubtings end to eſtabliſhments, nil tam certum, quàm quod de dubio certum. but when men arrive in Scepticiſm, as the laſt iſſue and reſult of all their debates and thoughts of heart about Religion, it had been good for ſuch if they had never been borne.
After his heart was changed, it was obſerved of him that his abilities of minde 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 paſſe chiefly by this means, that the feare of God fixed him, and made him ſerious, and taught him to meditate, which is the maine 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 worke 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 ſolemne adviſe was that he ſhould ſerve the Lord in the Goſpel of his Sonne; 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 ſou…s that his words made deep imp…eſſions, and ſeldome or never fell to the ground
He was lecturer a while at Earles-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, a… he did many other godly Ministers from Eſſex at the ſame time. After this he l…ved 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 delays, by great ſtormes and diſaſters at ſea upon the ſands and coaſts of Yarmouth, which retarded his voyage till another yeare, he arrived there at laſt; where he was Paſtor to a precious flock at Cambridge about fourteen yeares. He was but 46. or 47. yeares old when he dyed. His ſickneſſe began with a ſore throate, and then a ſquinancy, and then a fever, wherof he dyed Auguſt 23. 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 love Jeſus Chriſt dearly, that little part that I have in him, is no ſmal 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 paines 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, and having his ſermons finiſhed upon friday night; He hath ſometime expreſt himſelf thus in publicke; 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 plaineneſſe together with power in preaching, not ſeeking abſtruſities, nor liking to hover and ſoare aloft in dark expreſſions, and ſo to ſhoot his arrowes (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 terme it) legal: ſome ſouls can reliſh none but meal-mouth'd Preachers, who come with ſoft and ſmooth, and toothles 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-peaching 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 returnes of thankfulneſſe and duty. Nor is any doctrine more comforting then this humbling way of God, if rightly managed.
It is certain the foundations of after-ſorrowes and ruines to the Church, have ever been laid in the dayes of her proſperity, and peace, and reſt, when ſhe injoyes all her pleaſant things. This the watchmen of Iſrael ſhould foreſee, and therefore what ſhould they do but ſeek to humble and awaken, and ſearch and melt mens hearts, and warne every one night and day with teares, that in the day of their peace, they may not ſinne 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 perpetuate 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.
I. 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 bloody yokes of men, to caſt off at leaſt in part the Government and bleſſed yoke of Chriſt alſo. Hence it comes 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 damne, and miſlead them from the truthes and wayes of God. But the machinations 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't.
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, then to think that Religion is none of their Liberties, and yet how maay ſonnes of Belial, are there void of counſel, neither is there any underſtanding in them, who imagine vain things, and ſay, Let us break his bands aſunder, and caſt away his cords 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 through a dreadful 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 & irreſolution of ſpirit in the things of God? wo to the valley of viſion, even to a ſinful 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 powerful, 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 newes of everlaſting deſtruction, no evidence of the fierce anger of God upon them, which burnes 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 barres of the pit of hell 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 below, with everlaſting burnings about their eares, and with chaines of darkneſſe 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 maine reaſon of it, is becauſe they hear but a ſound of words, but they do not hear the Lord in that Wrrd: they hear words that are ſpoken by God, but they heare not, they ſee not God himſelf therein. If ever thou wouldeſt profit by reading or hearing, take every word as a ſpecial meſſage to thee from God; and of this fruitleſſe 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't by himſelf. Therefore we ſhall adde no more. The bleſſing o… 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 Jeſus Christ, as eſteeming theſe ſpiritual mercies our beſt mercies, our choiceſt and deareſt liberties. If ever the Lord Jeſus (which mercy forbid) ſhould take his doleful and final farewel of the Engliſh-nation, as when he laid the tomb-ſtone upon Jeruſalem, ſuch as theſe wil be his mournings over us: Oh Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, thou that killeſt the Prophets, and burneſt them that areſent 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 ſpecial 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 Hephſibah, & 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 yet with us) 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 remēbrance therof, which indeed no tears can ſufficiently lament. We who ſometimes ſate under his ſhadow, & 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 Jeſus Chriſt; and whom he ſomtimes exhorted, comforted and charged every one of us as a father doth his children; we cannot but carry ſorrow in the bottome of our hearts to this day, that we muſt here ſee his face no more. Neither do we believe that his loſſe remaines 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 general concernment then we eaſily apprehend, eſpecially in this Age, wherein not only many ſit 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 paſſe the Preſſe. 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, and partly from what he took from his mouth. The ſubject (in both the Texts) is of great uſe, and needfull for theſe times; wherein there is more Liberty, then good uſe of it; and much more common and outward, then ſaving and effectual knowledge of the word of God. Theſe poſthumous editions are farre 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 farre, (as the Authors manner was) yet the intelligent Reader will finde 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 wayes they ſhall live; yea, riſe up at the laſt day.
March 29. 1652.
Imprimatur,
EDM. CALAMY.