A59669:456
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.
Self-love will make a man seek his own good and safety; hence it will pull a man out of his bed betimes in the morning, and call him up to pray; it will take him and carry him into his chamber towards evening, and there privately make him seek, and pray, and tug hard for pardon, for Christ, for mercy, Lord evermore give us of this bread▪ But the love of Christ makes a man desire Christ and his honour for himself, & all other things for Christ. It is true, the desires of Sons in ⟨p. 190⟩Christ by faith are accepted ever, but the desire of servants, men that work only for their wages out of Christ, are not.
Selfe-love will make a man seeke his own good and safety; hence it will pull a man out of his bed betimes in the morning, and call him up to pray; it will take him and cary him into his chamber towards evening, and there privately make him seeke, and pray, and tug hard for pardon, for Christ, for mercy, Lord evermore give us of this bread▪ But the love of Christ makes a man desire Christ and his honour for himselfe, & all other things for Christ. It is true, the desires of Sonnes in ⟨p. 190⟩Christ by faith are accepted ever, but the desire of servants, men that worke onely for their wages out of Christ, are not.
Fourthly, In judging of Gods love to them, by aiming sometimes at the glory of God. Is this possible, that a man should aim at Gods glory, and yet perish?1 Yes, and ordinary too. A man may be liberal to the poor, maintain the Ministry, be forward and stand for good things, whence he may not doubt but that God loves him: But here is the difference, though a wicked man may make Gods glory in some particular things his end, yet he never makes it in his general course his utmost and last end: A subtle Apprentice may do all his Masters work, but he may take the gain to himself, or divide it betwixt his Master and himself, and so may be but a Knave, as observant as he seems to be: So a subtle heart, (yet a vile villainous heart) may forsake all the world, as Judas did, may bind himself Apprentice to all the duties God requireth outwardly