The Soul's Preparation for Christ

¹The first use is for instruction, Here we find the reason why plain teaching finds such opposition, why it is so cavilled at by all ministers & others; because thereby the eye of the soul comes to be opened, and all a mans abominations are discovered, and his conscience is pinched by the same; Our Saviour saith, He that doth evil, hates the light, lest his deeds should be reproved, as a thief hates the light and the lantern-bearer, because they show his villainy; so they that are guilty of many sinful courses, and base practises, hate the minister that brings the word with any power to their souls. A malefactor at the Assizes can be content to see an hundred men in the town and is never troubled with them; but if he sees one man that comes to give in evidence against him, and knows his practises; Oh how his heart riseth with desperate indignation against that man. Oh saith he, this is he that seeks my life, he will make my neck crack; so it is with this soul saving ministry, it is that which brings in a bill of indictment against a man. Now a man can be content to come, and hear though it be never so many sermons; but if a minister comes in for a witness against him, and begins to arraign him, and to indict him, for his pride, and malice, and covetousness, and to convince him of them, and to lay him flat before the Lord, & his conscience, ⟨p. 69⟩Oh then he is not able to bear it. What is the reason of this? He can hear others quietly, and say, oh they are sweet men, they deal kindly and comfortably. Why? The mass bites not; (as the proverb is) such a kind of ministry works not at all, and this is the reason why they are not troubled, but go away so well contented. I have sometime admired at this: why a company of Gentlemen, yeomen, and poor women, that are scarcely able to know their A. B. C. Yet they have a minister to speak Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and to use the Fathers, when it is certain, they know nothing at all. The reason is, because all this stings not, they may sit and sleep in their sins, and go to hell hoodwinked, never awakened, and that is the reason they will welcome such to their houses, and say, oh he is an excellent man, I would give any thing I might live under his ministry.

¹The first use is for instruction, Here we finde the reason why plaine teaching findes such opposition, why it is so cavilled at by all ministers & others; because thereby the eye of the soule comes to be opened, and all a mans abominations are discovered, and his conscience is pinched by the same; Our Saviour saith, He that doth evil, hates the light, lest his deeds should be reproved, as a theefe hates the light and the lantorn-bearer, because they shew his villany; so they that are guilty of many sinfull courses, and base practises, hate the minister that brings the word with any power to their soules. A malefactor at the Assises can be content to see an hundred men in the towne and is never troubled with them; but if he sees one man that comes to give in euidence against him, and knowes his practises; Oh how his heart riseth with desperate indignation against that man. Oh saith he, this is he that seekes my life, he will make my necke cracke; so it is with this soule saving ministery, it is that which brings in a bill of inditement against a man. Now a man can be content to come, and heare though it be never so many sermons; but if a minister comes in for a witnes against him, and begins to arraigne him, and to indite him, for his pride, and malice, and covetousnesse, and to convince him of them, and to lay him flat before the Lord, & his conscience,