A03611:125
The Soul's Preparation for Christ
The souls preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soul, in the conversion of a sinner to Himself.The soules preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soule, in the conversion of a sinner to Himselfe.
London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Dawlman, 1632London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Davvlman, 1632
THE SOULS PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.THE SOVLES PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.
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.
Thirdly, many say, words are but wind, and all this wind shakes no corn, And so when we ⟨p. 43⟩press men to the inward work of the soul, not only to keep men from the halter, but to tell them, they must pull down their proud hearts, and be humbled for their sins, and the like, then they reply, thoughts fly away suddenly, and thoughts are free. To which I answer, these words are such wind as will blow down thy soul into the bottomless pit of hell. It is not I that say so, but our Saviour himself, By thy words thou shalt be justified; 1and by thy words thou shalt be condemned: though you make nothing of your swearing, and idle thoughts, and revilings of Gods people; yet the God of heaven will require them at your hands, and you shall either receive acquittance from Christ of them, or else vengeance for ever for them:2 For the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints in flaming fire to punish not only murderers and adulterers and the like, but all ungodly ones; the Lord will call thee to an account for all thy abominations, nay, for all thy speeches against the people of God, upon thy ale-bench when thou diddest toss them too and fro,3 and the Lord will set thy sins in order before thee; nay, he will call thee to an account for them, for all thy thoughts, though they are sudden and quickly passed over, as the Prophet Jeremiah saith, O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, 4how long shall thy vain thoughts remain in thee? Whatsoever men think of thoughts, yet they are the very life and sinews of sin, and they are brought forth by meditation of a mans corruptions in this kind.
Thirdly, many say, words are but winde, and all this winde shakes no corne, And so when we ⟨p. 43⟩presse men to the inward worke of the soule, not onely to keepe men from the halter, but to tell them, they must pull downe their proud hearts, and be humbled for their sinnes, and the like, then they reply, thoughts flie away suddenly, and thoughts are free. To which I answer, these words are such winde as will blow downe thy soule into the bottomlesse pit of hell. It is not I that say so, but our Saviour himselfe, By thy words thou shalt be justisfied;