A59669:201
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.
Now followeth his future miseries,1 which are to come upon him hereafter.
- 1Mans future Miseries.
They must die, either by a sudden,§I sullen or desperate death, Psal. 89. 48. which though it is to a child of God a sweet sleep, yet to the wicked it is a fearful curse proceeding from Gods wrath, whence like a Lyon he tears body and soul asunder, death cometh hissing upon them like a fiery Dragon with the sting of vengeance in the mouth of it, it puts a period to all their worldly contentments, which then they must forsake, and carry nothing away with them, but a rotten winding sheet. It's the beginning of all their woe, it's the captain that first strikes the stroke, and then armies of endless woes follow after, Revel. 6. 2. Oh thou hadst better be a toad, or a dog then a man, for there's an end of their troubles, when they are dead and gone, they fall now as men from a ⟨p. 72⟩sleep, they know not where they shall go; now Repentance is too late, especially if thou hast lived under means before, it's either a cold Repentance, when the body is weak and the heart sick, or an hypocritical repentance, only for fear of Hell, and therefore thou sayest, Lord Jesus receive my soul. Nay commonly then mens hearts are most hard, and therefore men dye like Lambs, and cry not out; Then it's hard plucking thy soul from the Devils hands, to whom thou hast given it all thy life by sin, and if thou dost get it back, dost thou think that God will take the devils leavings? Now thy day is past, and darkness begins to over-spread thy soul; now flocks of Devils come into thy chamber, waiting for thy soul, to fly upon it as a Mastiff Dog when the door is opened. And this is the reason why most men dye quietly that lived wickedly, because Satan then hath them as his own prey, like Pirates that let a Ship pass by, that is empty of goods, they shout commonly at them