The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

By what means doth the Lord work this?

By what meanes doth the Lord worke this?

In general,¹ by the Spirit, immediately acting upon the soul; for after a Christian is in Christ, he hath by the habit of humility, and the virtue of faith, some power to humble himself; but now the Spirit of Christ doth it immediately by its own omnipotent hand; else the proud heart would never down: For we are first created in Christ (which is by Gods omnipotent immediate act) unto good works, before we do from our selves, or by the power of Faith, put forth good works, Eph. 2.10. These acts of self-confidence may not be stirring in all Christians; but in all men there is this frame of spirit, never to come to Christ, if they can make any thing else serve to heal them or save them; and therefore the Spirit cuts off this sinful frame in part in all the elect; he hews the roughness and pride of spirit off, that it may lye still upon the foundation it is now preparing for. Now though the Spirit works this, yet tis not without the Word; the Word it works chiefly by, is the Law, Gal. 3.19. I through the Law am dead to it, (i. e. ⟨p. 130⟩from seeking any life or help from it) that I might live unto God. Now the Law doth this by a four-fold act.

In generall,¹ by the Spirit, immediately acting upon the soule; for after a Christian is in Christ, he hath by the habit of humility, and the vertue of faith, some power to humble himselfe; but now the Spirit of Christ doth it immediately by its own omnipotent hand; else the proud heart would never down: For we are first created in Christ (which is by Gods omnipotent immediate act) unto good workes, before we do from our selves, or by the power of Faith, put forth good workes,