N04105:256
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.
SECT. V. The fourth and last Act of Christ's Power, is the Work of Faith.
THE Lord having wounded and humbled his Elect, and laid them down dead at his Feet, they are now as unable to believe as they were to humble their own Souls; and therefore now the Lord takes them up in his Arms, that they lean and rest on the Bosom of their Beloved by Faith. After Joseph had spoken roughly to his ⟨p. 117⟩Brethren, and thereby brought the Blood of their Brother to Remembrance, and so had humbled them, and then he can contain no longer, but discovers himself to them, and tells them, I am Joseph whom you wickedly sold, yet fear not; so doth our Saviour carry it towards his Elect, when he laid them low: Now is the very Season for him to advance the Glory of his Grace, he cannot now contain himself any longer; but having torn and taken away that Veil of Sin and of the Law from off their Hearts, now they see the Lord with open Face, even the End of that which was to be abolished, 2 Cor. 3. The Explication of the great Work, is of exceeding great Difficulty; nothing more stirring than Faith in a true Christian, because he lives by it, yet it is very little known; as Children in the Womb, that know not that Navel-string by which they principally live: I shall therefore be wary, and leaving larger Explications, acquaint you with the Nature of Faith, in this brief Description of it.
THE Lord having wounded and humbled his Elect, and laid them down dead at his Feet, they are now as unable to believe as they were to humble their own Souls; and therefore now the Lord takes them up in his Arms, that they lean and rest on the Bosom of their Beloved by Faith. After Joseph had spoken roughly to his