A59685:263
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…
The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs spirit in reconciling of a sinner to God / by Tho. Shepard ...The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs spirit in reconciling of a sinner to God / by Tho. Shepard ...
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1645
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.
1Suppose you cannot find your self within any promise, and you see no reason to believe, only you have the Lords call and command to believe▪ do you now in conscience and obedience to this command, or to Gods invitation and entreaty in the Gospel, believe, because thou ••rest not dishonour God by refusing his […]? thou dost therefore accept o• it, this is no presumption, unless obedience be presumption; nay the most acceptable obedience, which is the obedience of Faith, John 6.38. For what was the ground on which those 3000 believed? Acts 2.38, 39. &c. Peter said, Repent that you may receive remission of sins; now what follows? they that gladly received the word, were baptized: Oh that word, repent, i. e. as Beza expounds it, return to God and come in, was a most sweet word to them, and therefore they received it; this was no presumption, either for Peter to exhort them to repent, or for them to take the Lord ⟨p. 171⟩(as that godly man said) at his first word. I know there is a subjection to the Gospel arising only from slavish fear and carnal hopes, Psal. 66.3. Psal. 18.44. this may be in presumptuous reprobates, but there is a subjection arising from the sense of the sweetness and exceeding goodness of Gods call and promise, Psal. 110.2, 3. As a woman that is overcome with the words of her loving suitor, the man is precious, and hence his words are very sweet, and overcome her heart to think, why should such a one as I be looked upon, by one of such a place? it is no presumption now, but duty to give her consent: so it is here; when the Lord is precious and his words [oh accept me, oh come to me] are exceeding sweet; and hereupon out of obedience gladly yields up it self to the Lord, takes possession of the Lord, this is no more presumption, then to sanctify a Sabbath, or to pray, or hear the word, because the Lords commands are herein very sweet.