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brought him to this place, he found his worldliness; and this bred many fears whether ever any work of Christ in him was in truth, and that he was one that might fall short of Christ, and that he was humbled; but his heart was not deep enough, and hence he was put to more search whether ever he was humbled.
Yet the Lord made it more clear from Ephraim's condition, Jer. 31. 18, that the Lord had made him loathe himself, and this made him loathe him[self]; and here he hath found more enmity of his heart against the Lord than ever before.
But hearing the Lord was willing to take away his enmity, he, by Rev. 22. 14, was brought nearer to the Lord.
Besides these fifty persons, the names of others may be gathered from the lists of Freemen in the Colony, during that period; for as none were then admitted to political freedom except members of churches, it may safely be supposed that all the
Cambridge men thus made free were members of the
Church.
Moreover,
Mr. Shepard's successor, the “matchless
Mitchell,” prepared in 1658 a manuscript account of “The Church of Christ at
Cambridge in N. E., or, the names of all the members thereof that are in full communion,” etc., which, after having long been lost, was discovered in 1815, by
Rev. Dr. Holmes, among the
Prince manuscripts, and was published by
Rev. Dr. Newell, in the Appendix to his “Discourse on the
Cambridge Church-gathering.”
It must be remembered, however, that this list contains the names of those who were admitted to membership between 1649, when
Mr. Shepard died, and 1658, when the record was made, as well as of those who were previously members; also, that the names of some deceased members may have been omitted.
There are still preserved two folio volumes, which may be styled Church Books, chiefly devoted to financial affairs, containing a particular account of receipts and disbursements by the Deacons, together with some historical notices.
From these books something may be gleaned concerning the condition and work of the
Church.
On the inside of the cover of one volume is the following memorandum:—
Goodman Hayes departinge this natural life 1639 hee disposed of his children as followeth commending them to the Lord and the care of these friends following: unto Mr. Goodyn of Harford his daughter Anna; unto Goodman Lewis his sonn
