The spiritual thing formerly signified and sealed by circumcision, is now signified and sealed by baptism ~ Herman Witsius
“Intercession is ... a daily service we owe to God and our brother. He who denies his neighbour the service of praying for him denies him the service of a Christian. It is clear, furthermore; that intercession is not general and vague but concrete: a matter of definite persons and definite difficulties and therefore of definite petitions. The more definite my intercession becomes, the more promising it is.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 'Life Together', (London: SCM Press, 1954), p.66.
The Puritans of the first generation were by no means scandalised, when their people felt so strongly that they could not conceal their emotions. Of Thomas Shepard, the holy minister of Cambridge, it was said, “that he scarce ever preached a sermon, but some or other of his congregation were struck with great distress, and cried out in agony, What shall I do to be saved?” This was so much expected, that those who had been detained from worship used to ask, “Who hath been wrought upon today?” In the time of Edwards, audible expressions of feeling by the hearers in public worship had begun to be considered indecorous; for hearers were not expected to be overcome by strong emotions; but the demand of public sentiment for silence was much less imperative then than now. - Joseph Tracy 1841 The Great Awakening
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