A59669:339
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.
Thirdly,1 this ministereth exhortation to all confident people, that think they believe, and say, they doubt not but to be saved, and hence do not much fear death, Oh, learn hence to suspect and fear your estates, and fear it so much, that thou canst not be quiet, until thou hast got some assurance thou shalt be saved. When Christ told his Disciples that one of them should betray him, they all said, Master, is it I? but if he had said, elev•e of them should betray him, they all except one, would they not all conclude, Surely it is I: If the Lord had said, only few shall be damned, ⟨p. 130⟩every man might fear, it may be it is I; but now he saith, most shall, every man may cry out and say, Surely it is I. No humble heart, but is driven to and fro with many stinging fears this way, yet there is a generation of presumptuous, brazen• faced, bold people, that confidently think of themselves, as the Jemes of the Pharisees, (being so holy and strict) that if God save but two in the world, they shall make one.
Thirdly,1 this ministreth exhortation to all confident people, that think they beleeve, and say, they doubt not but to be saved, and hence doe not much feare death, Oh, learne hence to suspect and feare your estates, and feare it so much, that thou canst not be quiet, untill thou hast got some assurance thou shalt be saved. When Christ told his Disciples that one of them should betray him, they all said, Master, is it I? but if he had said, elev•e of them should betray him, they all except one, would they not all conclude, Surely it is I: If the Lord had said, onely few shall be damned, ⟨p. 130⟩every man might feare, it may be it is I; but now he saith, most shall, every man may cry out and say, Surely it is I. No humble heart, but is driven to and fro with many stinging feares this way, yet there is a generation of presumptuous, brazen• faced, bold people, that confidently thinke of themselves, as the Iemes of the Pharisees, (being so holy and strict) that if God save but two in the world, they shall make one.