N04105:132
The sound believer. A treatise of evangelical conversion. Discovering the work of Christ's spirit,…
The sound believer. A treatise of evangelical conversion. Discovering the work of Christ's spirit, in reconciling of a sinner to God. / By Thomas Shepard, sometime of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, since preacher of God's word in New-England. ; [One line from Matthew]
Boston: printed by Green for D. Henchman, 1742
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
You shall see Ephraim bemoaning himself, Jer. 31.18. But how? Doth he say he feels his sins now all removed? No, but he desires the Lord to turn him, and then (saith he) I shall be turned.
You shall see Ephraim bemoaning himself, Jer. 31.18. But how? Doth he say he feels his sins now all remov'd? No, but he desires the Lord to turn him, and then (saith he) I shall be turned.
As if he should say, Lord, I shall never turn from this stubborn vile Heart, nor so much as turn to thee, to take it away, unless thou dost turn to me, and then I shall be turned to purpose. What saith the penitent Church? Come, say they, let us go unto the Lord, Hos. 6.1. They might object and say, Alas, the Lord is our Enemy, and wounds us, and hath broken us to Pieces, we are not yet healed, but lie dead as well as wounded; shall such dead Spirits live? Mark what follows, True indeed, he hath wounded us, let us therefore go to him, that he may heal us, and after two Days he will revive us. The Lord requires no more of us than thus to come to him. Indeed after a Christian is in Christ, labour for more and more sense ⟨p. 66⟩of sin, that may drive you nearer and nearer unto Christ. Yet know before you come to him, the Lord requires no more than thi•, & as he requires no more than this, so 'tis his own Spirit (not our Abilities) that must also work this; and thus much he will work, & doth require of all whom he purposeth to save. If thou wilt not come to Christ to take away thy sins, thou shalt undoubtedly perish in them. If the Lord work that sorrow, so as to be willing the Lord should take them away, thou shalt be undoubtedly saved from them.