N04105:395
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 5 › Explication 5: V. The special Ground of Faith.
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.
4. It provokes the sorest and most unsupportable Wrath, Take heed you despise not him that speaketh, for if they did not escape who refused him that spake on Earth, much less shall we that despise him that speaks from Heaven, Heb. 12.25. Take heed therefore you despise not him that speaketh; the Word Despise signifies in the Original to despise or refuse upon some Colour of Reason: Every Man hath some seeming Reason against believing: One thinks Time is past, another thinks he is excluded by some antecedent Decree of ⟨p. 186⟩Election, another thinks he is not humbled, nor holy enough, another makes Excuse, not by pretending his Ale-house and Whore-house, but his Farm and Merchandise, Mat. 22. another thinks he is well enough without Christ, &c. Oh take heed, for the Wrath of God most intolerable is your Portion, the lowest Dungeon of Darkness, is thy Place in Hell for this Sin; Hear ye Despisers and wonder, for I will work (saith the Lord) a Work in your Days, which you shall not believe, tho' it be told you, Acts 13.41. I pray you what is this Work? Certainly a Work of Wrath and Vengeance; but what is it? You will not believe, tho' you be told of it, oh you secure Sinners; but what is it that they will not believe? Nay truly the Lord himself is silent there, and saith nothing, as if it were so great and dreadful, that the glorious Lord himself is not able to express it; and truly no more am I: Oh therefore be not worse than that Generation of Vipers, that came in to John, because some had forewarned them to escape the Wrath to come, Mat. 3. but come unto a Saviour, that you may be ever blessed with him.
4. It provokes the sorest and most unsupportable Wrath, Take heed you dispise not him that speaketh, for if they did not escape who refused him that spake on Earth, much less shall we that despise him that speaks from Heaven, Heb. 12.25. Take heed therefore you despise not him that speaketh; the Word Despise signifies in the Original to despise or refuse upon some Colour of Reason: Every Man hath some seeming Reason against believing: One thinks Time is past, another thinks he is excluded by some antecedent Decree of