N04105:236
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.
THE Sound Believer. › Chapter 1 › Section 4: The third Act of Christ's Power, which is Humiliation.
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.
2. Otherwise the Lord should not be Lord and Disposer of his own Grace, but a sinful Creature who quarrels against God, if it be not disposed of, not as the Lord will, but as the Creature will. If a Stranger comes to our House, and will have what he wants, and if he hath not, he quarrels and contends with the Master of the House, what would he say? Away proud Beggar, dost think to be Lord of what I have? Dost draw thy Knife to stab me, if I do not please thee and give thee thy asking? No, thou shalt know that I will do with my own as I see good, thou shalt lie down on the Dust of my Threshold before I give thee any Thing. So 'tis with the Lord, It is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that showeth Mercy. It is his principal Name, I will be merciful to whom I will be merciful; and therefore if you will not believe me, yet believe the Lord's Oath, Isai. 45.23. Unto me shall every Knee bow, and do you come to lord it over him, and quarrel, ⟨p. 107⟩and fret, and sink, and grow sullen, and vex, if the Lord stoop not unto your Desires? No, no, you must and shall lie upon his Threshold, nay he will make thee lay thy Neck upon the Block, as worthy of nothing but cutting off; then when this Valley is filled, all Flesh shall see the Glory of the Lord, Isai. 40.5. Thus Humiliation is necessary in this Measure mentioned. Not that I deny any subsequent Humiliation, after a Christian is in Christ, arising from the Sense of God's Favour in Christ, than which nothing makes a Christian of an evangelical Spirit more ashamed of himself: Yet I dare not exclude this which is antecedent, arising from the Spirit of Power immediately subduing the soul to Christ, that it may be exalted by Christ, 1 Pet. 5.6. It is true, all Things that pertain to Life and Godliness are received by Faith, 2 Pet. 1.3. yet Faith itself is a saving Work, which is not received by another precedent Faith. Faith therefore is to be excepted, not only as begotten in us, but as it is in the begetting of it in the Conviction and Humiliation of every Sinner.