The Soul's Preparation for Christ

So if thou hast a good heart, thou wilt not go away repining and fretting at the word, and say, the minister meant me, & crosseth me; Take heed of this tempter of heart, and if God be pleased to carve out to any man those particular fruits that concern his good; go away and bless the Lord, & say, blessed be his good word, and his poor servant that met this day with my sins, I never observed that pride, I never observed that malice, I never discovered that careless▪ what became of Christ I cared not; what became of his ministers I respected not; what became of his name I regarded not; but the Lord hath showed me my sins; and blessed be God for ⟨p. 79⟩that good work which hath been communicated to my soul by his servant.

So if thou hast a good heart, thou wilt not goe away repyning and fretting at the word, and say, the minister meant me, & crosseth me; Take heed of this tempter of heart, and if God bee pleased to carve out to any man those particular fruits that concerne his good; goe away and blesse the Lord, & say, blessed be his good word, and his poore servant that met this day with my sins, I never observed that pride, I never observed that malice, I never discovered that carelesse▪ what became of Christ I cared not; what became of his ministers I respected not; what became of his name I regarded not; but the Lord hath shewed me my sinnes; and blessed be God for ⟨p. 79⟩that good worke which hath beene communicated to my soule by his servant.

And observe this, so far as the heart is fearful that the minister should meet with his sins,¹ so far the heart is naught, Nay, if it be thus, if your consciences testify against you that you are loath to have your sins dealt roundly withal; you think the ministers should be mild, and not use such bitter reprehensions, and sharp reproofs: I beseech you think of it seriously, you deal with your sins in this kind as David did with Absalom: