N04105:252
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.
5. Remember how good the Lord's Will is, even when it crosseth thine; he shall have infinite Glory by all his denials to thee of what thou wouldst; he shall gain that, tho' thou loosest thy Peace and Quietness, that Good which thy foolish sinful Will desires at his Hand, John 12.27, 28. And if so, blessed be his Name, let God live, but let Man die and perish, that he may be exalted of vile Man.
6. Remember the sweet rest thou shalt have by the Subjection to the Lord; nothing is Man's Cross, but Man's Will; a stubborn Will like a stubborn Heifer in the Yoke galls and frets the Soul; Learn Meekness, saith our Saviour, of me in taking my Yoke on ⟨p. 114⟩you, and then you shall find rest. Hell would not be Hell, to a Heart truly humbled. Sometimes you find Enlargements, then you are glad: Sometimes none, then you sink: Sometimes you have hope of Mercy, then you are calm: Sometimes you loose your hopes, then the Sea works: When the Lord pleaseth you, then you are well, but if a little cross befall you, then your Spring is Muddy, and a little thing troubles: Oh be humble and vile in thine own Eyes, and verily such uncertain fits of Peace and Trouble are done, and the Days of all your Mourning are now ended.
USE 3. Of Thankfulness, to all those whom the Lord hath truly humbled: Time was, when the Lord first convinced you, that so long as you could make any Shift, find rest in any Duties, you would never lie down at Christ's Feet, now the Lord might have left you to have stumbled at that Stumbling-Stone, and to have stuck in those Bushes, but you may see that the Lord will save you even then when you would not be saved by him: And especially take Notice of two Passages of God's Dealings with you, wherein usually you find Matter of Discouragement, rather than of Acknowledgement of God's Goodness to you therein.