The 17th-century Puritan who discovered love

© 2018 Christy K Robinson

"I do prize him above Kingdoms: I desire him more than Life."

If you’re been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the dramatic testimonies that are occasionally made in church: the Lord came into a person’s life and gave them physical healing, or strength to overcome an addiction, or willpower to overcome a particular sin. Or maybe they were trapped in gangs or crime, or a rebellious time of life until someone stepped in and introduced them to Jesus.

But what about the person who didn’t rebel, didn’t take illicit drugs or alcohol, didn’t dabble with the devil? What about the person who accepted Christ early and did all the “right” things? What if your testimony is nothing to make people say “Amen” to, or bring a tear to their eyes when you’ve contrasted your old life to your new life?

Richard Baxter, a Puritan minister in England, lived roughly
the same time span as Roger Clapp. According to Wikipedia,
"His views on justification and sanctification
are somewhat controversial within the Calvinist tradition
because his teachings seem, to some, to undermine
salvation by faith, in that he emphasizes the
necessity of repentance and faithfulness."

And what about the people—and they are many—who are trying and failing to be perfect, and agonizing that they won’t be saved for eternal life? They seem to live in Romans chapter 7, where they are sinful and a slave to the wicked flesh, but haven’t turned the page to Romans 8, which begins with, “But now, therefore, there is no condemnation…”

In most of my research into 17th-century Puritanism, which was more zealous in New England than old England, I read of people who were so distraught at not being admitted to church membership with the Elect (people predestined to salvation who showed their salvation by performing good works), that they took their own lives, or tried to kill their children. Not being recognized as a church member meant that they were not recognized as one of the Elect who would be saved. One man in Weymouth jumped from an upper-floor bedroom window into the snow and stumbled several miles in the deep cold, kneeling down to pray several times. They found his body the next day.

There was a ray of warm sunlight for a few years in the 1630s, when Rev. John Cotton, the teacher of Boston First Church, preached a “Covenant of Grace,” which offered some relief and comfort to the afflicted souls, in contrast with the other Puritan ministers in the colony. He seemed to allow parishioners to relax a little in agonizing over their sin, by preaching salvation by faith in Jesus—but in thanks for that forgiveness, they proved their love for God by scrupulously keeping the biblical Commandments and laws of the colony and reporting those who did not, thus setting up even more pressure to conform.

One of my favorite research finds was a man whose journal I ran across while in search of local “color” for writing my novels. I like finding peoples’ opinions about their culture or faith, and it’s even better if they’re name-droppers for people I know are associated with Mary Dyer or Anne Hutchinson, the subjects on whom I’ve written. And then if I’m related to them—it’s a trifecta of ice cream, cherry, and caramel sauce.

Captain Roger Clapp, 1609-1690, was my uncle, 13 generations back, but as it turns out on another line, he’s the also father-in-law of my eighth great-grandfather (I descend from a second wife who was not a Clapp). However, he did write of Dyer and Hutchinson without naming names, so I’ve kept a copy of his memoir in my files.

One of the things that attracts me to this old Puritan was that the first chapter of his book was full of gratitude, which I’m actively cultivating in my life as a resolution from a few years back. I heartily endorse learning gratitude as a daily practice.

Good old Roger wrote of the succession of miracles God wrought in bringing him to Massachusetts, even though they’d suffered and nearly starved their first year. He exemplified the bromide, “If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

  “It was God that did draw me by his Providence out of my Father's Family, and weaned me from it by degrees; It was God put it into my Heart to incline to Live abroad; and it was God that made my Father willing. God by his Providence brought me near [Rev.] Mr. Warham, and inclined my Heart to his Ministry: God by his Providence moved the Heart of my [employer] Master Mossiour to ask me whether I would go to New-England: It was God by his Providence that made me willing to leave my dear Father, and dear Brethren and Sisters, my dear Friends and Country: It was God that made my Father willing on the first Motion I made in Person, to let me go: It was God that sent Mr. Maverick that pious Minister to me, who was unknown to him, to seek me out that I might come hither. So God brought me out of Plymouth [England] the 20th of March in the Year 1629-30, and landed me in Health at Nantasket on the 30th of May, 1630, I being then about the Age of Twenty one Years. Blessed be God that brought me Here!”  

But the memorable paragraphs for me were a few pages later, when he wrote of meeting with churches in the Dorchester area from 1630 on, where its members lived in mortal fear of an eternity in hell. He said they lived in terror for their lost condition. But Roger heard Rev. John Cotton in Boston, when Cotton arrived in 1634, and gained hope that the prophecies of Revelations showed God’s people winning in the end, and that a small stream of godly sorrow (at their sins) was better than a flood of great horror. Still, the bottom line was that few would be saved, and most would be lost.

And then the light truly broke through for Roger: that if Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and Roger was a sinner, then why couldn’t he be saved? "Why not me?" And instead of trying to obey the harsh laws out of fear of hell, he could hardly wait for an eternity with his beloved Savior Jesus. He wrote: “If my Heart do not deceive me, I do prize him above Kingdoms: I desire him more than Life, and to be made more and more like him in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of my Life.”

Here is a glimpse of Roger Clapp’s testimony (<--click) in his Memoir:

After God had brought me into this Country, He was pleased to give me Room in the Hearts of his Servants; so that I was admitted into the Church Fellowship at our first beginning in Dorchester, in the Year 1630. Jesus Christ being clearly Preached, and the way of coming to him by Believing was plainly shown forth: yet because many in their Relations spake of their great Terrors and deep Sense of their lost Condition, and I could not so find as others did, the Time when God wrought the Work of Conversion in my Soul, nor in many respects the Manner thereof; it caused in me much Sadness of Heart, and Doubtings how it was with me, Whether the Work of Grace were ever savingly wrought in my Heart or no? How to cast off all Hope, to say, and verily to Believe that there was no Work of Grace wrought by God in my Heart, this I could not do: yet how to be in some measure assured thereof was my great Concern: But hearing Mr. Cotton Preach out of the Revelations, that Christ's Church did come out of great Tribulation, he had such a Passage as this in his Sermon, "That a small running Stream, was much better than a great Land Flood of Water, tho' "the Flood maketh the greatest Noise: So, saith he, A "little constant Stream of godly Sorrow, is better than great Horrour: God spake to me by it, it was no little Support unto me. And God helped me to hang on that Text (and thro' his Grace I will continue so to do).

This is a faithful saying that is worthy of all Acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners. God has made me sensible that I am a Sinner, and Jesus Christ came to save Sinners, and why not me, tho' a very-sinful man: Thro' the Grace of God I desire to rest alone upon Jesus Christ for Salvation.

In my saddest Troubles for want of a clear Evidence of my good Estate, I did on a Time Examine myself upon my Bed in the Night, concerning my spiritual Estate; putting my self upon this Trial, How my Heart stood affected to Sin. The Question to my Soul was this (pitching upon that Sin which I did confess my natural Corruption most inclined me to):
The Question, I say, which by God's help, I put to my very Heart and Soul was, Whether if God would assure me that I should be saved, although I should commit such a Sin, my Heart were willing to commit it or no. And my very Heart and Soul answered. No, I would not Sin against God, though I should not be damned for sinning, because God has forbidden it.

At that Time my conscience did witness to me that my State [of salvation] was good: And God's holy Spirit did witness (I do believe) together with my Spirit that I was a Child of God; and did fill my Heart and Soul with such a full Assurance that Christ was mine, that it did so transport me as to make me cry out upon my Bed with a loud Voice, He is come, He is come. And God did melt my Heart at that time so that I could, and did mourn and shed more Tears for Sin, than at other Times; Yea the Love of God, that he should Elect me, and save such a worthless one as I was, did break my very Heart. I say again, When I had most Assurance of God's Love, I could mourn most for my Sins.

The Scripture saith, He that Believeth shall be saved: I hope God has not only wrought Historical Faith in me, but also true Justifying Faith; Faith to receive Jesus Christ to be my King, Priest and Prophet: If my Heart do not deceive me, I do prize him above Kingdoms: I desire him more than Life, and to be made more and more like him in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of my Life.

Oh the Riches of his free Grace to put any holy Desires in my Heart! I leave this with you, that you may plead God's free Promises, which are, That He will circumcise our Hearts and the Hearts of our Seed.

God's Covenant is unto the Faithful and to their Seed. Pray earnestly that God will be pleased to circumcise your Hearts, and cause you to walk in his Ways; so shall you be serviceable to him here, and be everlastingly Happy in the World to come.

*****

Clapp headstone from Find a Grave.

 Roger Clapp spent an honorable life, and lived to see several generations of descendants. He was buried in the Kings Chapel Burying Ground at Tremont and School Streets in the heart of Boston, near the people he respected: Gov. John Winthrop, Rev. John Cotton, and Rev. John Wilson. But his own words tell me that Roger is “everlastingly happy in the world to come,” full of assurance that Christ is his, and he is Christ’s.

If you are a person who agonizes over confessing the sin you can’t remember, for fear of not being saved, take comfort from the revelation of Roger Clapp, that though you’re a sinner, you are loved by God—loved so much that Jesus died for you, that you would not be condemned, but would have everlasting life.

John 3:16-17: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

For MORE on Capt. Roger Clapp, see my other blog, http://marybarrettdyer.blogspot.com/2018/01/life-sketch-of-capt-roger-clapp.html 


 

 

*****

Christy K Robinson is author of these books:

We Shall Be Changed (2010)

Mary Dyer Illuminated Vol. 1 (2013)  

Mary Dyer: For Such a Time as This Vol. 2 (2014)

The Dyers of London, Boston, & Newport Vol. 3 (2014)  

Effigy Hunter (2015)  

Anne Marbury Hutchinson: American Founding Mother (2018)

And of these sites:  

Discovering Love  (inspiration and service)

Rooting for Ancestors  (history and genealogy)

William and Mary Barrett Dyer (17th century culture and history of England and New England)

Editornado [ed•i•tohr•NAY•doh] (Words. Communications. Book reviews. Cartoons.)