The souls humiliationThe soules humiliation

First,¹ when the soul is taken up with a secure course, and rests it self well apaid in his own practises, and therefore it never seeth any need of a change, nor never goes out for a change: now while he lives thus, and blesseth himself in his sin, it is impossible that ever the soul should receive faith, or ever by the power of faith repair to Christ upon these terms: for ever where faith comes it works a change, all the old things are done away, and become new, he is new in heart and life; now the secure sinner that seeth no need of a change, will ⟨p. 4⟩never see need of faith, nor labour for it; and if the Ministers of God bid such a man to leave his sin, and to pray in his family, and forsake his sinful practises, and to sanctify the Lords day, and take up new courses, he thinks they bid him to his loss: now by that time the Lord hath taken away this let, and burdened the soul marvellous extremely, and saith, is it well that you live in drunkenness, and in covetousness, in cheating, in lying and the like, then take your sins and get you down to hell with them; thus the Lord is forced to break the heart: then a poor sinner begins to see where he is, and now he saith, and is this true, then I am the most miserable creature under heaven, and except I be otherwise, it had been good for me if I had never been borne; by this time the soul sees need of a change: Therefore as they said, Men and brethren what shall we do, ²we have been thus and thus, but if we rest here it will be our ruin for ever, oh what shall we do. Thus the soul comes to a restless dislike of it self, and saith, I must either be otherwise or else I am but a damned man for ever.

First,¹ when the soule is taken up with a secure course, and rests it selfe well apaide in his owne practises, and therefore it never seeth any need of a change, nor never goes out for a change: now while he lives thus, and blesseth himselfe in his sinne, it is impossible that ever the soule should receive faith, or ever by the power of faith repaire to Christ upon these termes: for ever where faith comes it works a change, all the old things are done away, and become new, he is new in heart and life; now the secure sinner that seeth no need of a change, will