Massachusetts -- Periodicals; New England -- Periodicals
Yours I received and have considered the Contents, and pray that your
spouse may be directed and assisted by the grace and holy spirit of
God to live in all good conscience before Him and this being the
indispensable Duty of everyone when come to the use of Reason, with
all seriousness to search the Scriptures, from thence to learn our
Duty; and, then with Humility to devote ourselves to God, which is our
reasonable Service; and, this being the awfulest solemnity that poor
mortal man ever transacts in, whilst in this world: being to enter into
Covenant with the Most High God. In the Concernment of a precious soul
for a vast Eternity, ought to be entered upon with earnest prayer to
God for his grace, that it may be sufficient for us, and that His
strength might be made perfect in weakness: As for the order in which
our Church admits Members into Communion: the Person who desires to
joyn to the Church stands propounded a fortnight, in which time inquiry
is made concerning their Life and Conversation: then they appear before
the Church, make _Confession_, with their mouth, of their Repentance
toward God, and their faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ: and, if
nothing appears by information contrary to their _Confession_, then
they are approved of by a vote of the Church, with all readiness; and
so partake of the Holy ordinances--Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Our breaking-bread day is always on the first Sabbath in every month,
and, always on the Friday before it, we have a Church Meeting, which is
carried on by prayer, in order to prepare for our approach to the Lord's
table: at which Meetings _those_ are sometimes heard and sometimes
on the Sabbath, as circumstances best serve--so that any Person at a
Distance may send to our minister to propound them to the Church timely,
and order their coming, so as to partake of both ordinances on the same
day: The Reverend Mr. Cotton of Newton, on occasion of a man of his
Parish desiring to join in Communion with our Church, gave him a Letter
of Recommendation, not as a member with him, but as of one in Judgment
of Charity qualified by the grace of God to be received amongst us:
which the Church received as a mark of his Catholic Christian Spirit.
That you and your spouse may be directed to do what may be most for
the glory of God: and for your own Peace and Comfort, both for time
and Eternity: that you may both walk in all the commands and ordinances
of the Lord blameless is the Prayer and Desire of your loving uncle.
SHEM DROWNE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account