The Soul's Preparation for Christ

It is with an ignorant soul as it befell the drunkard that was asleep on the top of the mast who fears no harm, because he sees it not. So it is with a sinful heart, he is resolved to go on still in his sin, because he seeth not the danger; take a man that hath his heart stabbed with a stiletto and the wound is so narrow that it cannot be searched, there is no means to come to it; Just so it is with a blind ignorant heart, there is much means whereby good might be done to it, but an ignorant heart bars all out, so that nothing can do good to the soul. All counsels, admonitions, reproofs cannot prevail, all mercies allure not, because they find no sweetness in them; a Minister is as able to teach the stool whereon he sits as to do them good. Me thinks it is with a world of men that live in the bosom of the Church, as it is with such as have suffered shipwreck, they are cast upon the waves, and their friends are standing upon the shore, and see them, and mourn for them, there they see one sinking, and another floating upon the waves even labouring for his life; and they sigh and mourn, but cannot help him; Just so it is with ignorant people that are swallowed up with the floods of iniquity, here is one man going, and there another in the broad way to destruction, & we pity them, and pray for them, that God would open their eyes, and give them the sight of their sins: but alas, they are not able to conceive ⟨p. 36⟩of any thing. We cannot come at them, & thus they sink in their sins.

It is with an ignorant soule as it befell the drunkard that was asleepe on the toppe of the mast who feares no harme, because he sees it not. So it is with a sinfull heart, he is resolved to goe on still in his sinne, because he seeth not the danger; take a man that hath his heart stabbed with a stilletto and the wound is so narrow that it cannot be searched, there is no meanes to come to it; Just so it is with a blind ignorant heart, there is much meanes whereby good might be done to it, but an ignorant heart barres all out, so that nothing can doe good to the soule. All counsels, admonitions, reproofes cannot prevaile, all mercies allure not, because they find no sweetnesse in them; a Minister is as able to teach the stoole whereon he sits as to doe them good. Me thinks it is with a world of men that live in the bosome of the Church, as it is with such as have suffered shipwracke, they are cast upon the waves, and their friends are standing upon the shoare, and see them, and mourne for them, there they see one sinking, and another floating upon the waves even labouring for his life; and they sigh and mourne, but cannot helpe him; Just so it is with ignorant people that are swallowed up with the floods of iniquitie, here is one man going, and there another in the broad way to destruction, & we pitty them, and pray for them, that God would open their eyes, and give them the sight of their sinnes: but alas, they are not able to conceive