A59669:140
The Sincere Convert
The sincere convert discovering the paucity of true believers and the great difficulty of saving conversion by Tho. Shepherd ....The sincere convert discovering the paucity of true beleevers and the great difficulty of saving conversion by Tho. Shepheard ....
London: printed by T.P. and M.S. for Humphrey Blunden, 1641
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
You therefore that now say, no man can say black is your eye, you have lived civilly all your days, look upon this one grievous sin, take a full view of it, which thou hast never shed one tear for as yet, and see thy misery by it, and wonder at Gods patience. He hath spared thee who wast borne branded with it, and hast lived guilty of it, and must perish for ever for it, if the Lord from Heaven pity thee not.
You therefore that now say, no man can say blacke is your eye, you have lived civilly all your dayes, looke upon this one grievous sin, take a full view of it, which thou hast never shed one teare for as yet, and see thy misery by it, and wonder at Gods patience. He hath spared thee who wast borne branded with it, and hast lived guilty of it, and must perish for ever for it, if the Lord from Heaven pity thee not.
But here is not all, consider secondly,1 every man is borne stark dead in sin, Ephes. 2. 1. he is borne empty of every inward principle of life, void of all ⟨p. 48⟩graces, and hath no more good in him (whatsoever he thinks,) then a dead Carrion hath. And hence he is under the power of sin, as a dead man is under the power of death, and cannot perform any act of life: their bodies are living coffins to carry a dead soul up and down in.
But here is not all, consider secondly,1 every man is borne stark dead in sinne, Ephes. 2. 1. he is borne empty of every inward principle of life, voyde of all ⟨p. 48⟩