N04105:134
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.
If you would know what Measure of Willingness to have Christ take away sin is required; you shall hear when we come to open the fourth Particular in the Doctrine of Faith.
If you further ask, How the Spirit works this Loosening from Sin in the Work of Compunction?
I answer, The Spirit of Christ works this by a double Act,
1. Moral. 2. Physical.
As in the Conversion of the soul by Faith unto God, the Spirit is not only a moral Agent persuading, but also a supernatural Agent, physically working the Heart to believe, by a divine and immediate Act; so in the Aversion of the soul from sin, the Spirit doth affect the Heart with fear and sorrow morally, but this can never take away sin, as we see in Judas and Cain deeply affected and afflicted in Spirit, and yet in their sin. And therefore the Spirit puts forth its own Hand physically or immediately, and his own Arm brings Salvation to us, by a further secret immediate Stroke, turning the iron Neck, cutting the iron sinews of sin, and so makes the Disunion or Separation. You think it is easy to be willing that Christ should come and take away all your sins; I tell you the omnipotent Arm of the Lord that instructed Jeremiah in a